Cooler



E. G. HOCH COOLER Aug. 15, 1939.

p e S d e 1 1 F 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 Edam/wt 6.129%

IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-Shegt 2 I $5 EN TOR.

\E. G. HOCH COOLER A TTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 15, 1939 STATES N l T E ll? PATENT FEHCE 8 Claims.

My invention. relates to an'improvement in coolers of a type designed to contain food products, as well as other perishable products,. and to maintain these products at a low temperature in an efficient manner.

Many types of ice refrigerators have been constructed in the past which accomplished the purpose of maintaining the contents of the refrigerator or cooler at a low temperature. Most of these refrigerators with which I am familiar, permit a circulation of air over or upon the surface of a cake of ice, thus cooling the air within the refrigerator or cooler. The heat of this air melts the ice, transforming the same into water which is immediately conducted through a. suitable outlet to a drain.

It is the object of my invention to provide a cooler or refrigerator, provided with an 'ice the melting of the ice to maintain a low temperalishments.

chamber at the top of the same, so arranged that the air'within the cooler may pass freely over the ice within the ice chamber. A battle is provided beneath the ice chamber which acts to catch the water'formed by the melting of the ice, and to direct this water over the side walls of the container to cool these walls and accordingly to cool the body of the cooler or refrigerator. The body of the cooler and the air within the cooler is to be maintained at a low temperature.

The water created by the melting of the ice flows down the inner walls of the cooler, the heat pass,- ing through the walls gradually heating this water within the cooler. Thus the water absorbs considerable heat from the cooler walls in its passage down the walls of the cooler before it is allowed to leave the cooler through a drain at the bottom of the same.

It is a feature of my invention to provide a cooler which utilizes thecold water formed by ture in the refrigerator body. Because of the fact that this cold water has ordinarily been con ducted directly to a drain it may be seen that the use of this water permits more efficient operation of the cooler. I

Itis an object of my invention to provide a cooler which is suitable for use in dairy trucks,

or the like, or for other vehicles transporting food stuffs, as well as for homes or business estab- In every instance, the cold water formed by the'melting of the ice runs down the 'walls of the refrigerator, cooling the air within the same, keeping the walls of the cooler clean and fresh, and absorbing all odors and dust from the refrigerator and conducting the same through the outlet drain. Accordingly, it is possible to maintain food stuffs for a. long period of time at titrei proper low temperature with a small amount ce.

Heretofore, dairies have kept their products cold in most instances as they are delivered, by placing trays of ice among the cases of milk and cream and other products. The melting of the ice permits water'to drain over these products, creating an unsanitary and undesirable condi-: tion. With my cooler, the water is directed down the walls of the cooler and is not permitted to contact the products being delivered.

It is a further feature of my invention to provide a cooler having cold water directed down the walls of the same and to provide a means of supporting the products within the cooler spaced away from the walls, so that no moisture may directly contact these products. This resuit is accomplished by providing supporting means for the contents of the refrigerator which M are supported in spaced relationship from the refrigerator walls in such a manner that the water may flow between the supporting means for the contents and the wall of the refrigerator.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully. set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my cooling unit designed for use in dairy trucks and the like.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken on a vertical plane through the cooler illustrated in Figure l. i

Figure 3 is a sectional perspective view of one. type of baiiie construction used to direct the water; from the melting ice against the wallsof the refrigerator.

Figure ,4 is a sectional perspective view of an- 40 alternate type of bafile construction.

Figure 5 is a sectional view illustrating an al-, ternate type of supporting means for the con tents of the cooler. 4

Figure 6 illustrates a combined battle and ice supporting tray, which may be used in place of the construction illustrated in Figures 1 through 4.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the combined ice tray and baffie illustrated in Figure 6. K

Figure 8 shows a modified form of box in which an inner protective wall is provided.

The cooler A comprises a body having a top wall ill, a bottom wall it, side walls i2, and a rear wall l3. The door or closure as is provided to cover the open side of the body. This door i4 is hingedly secured to the body at i5 and may be held in closed position by any suitable latch mechanism IS.

The walls of the refrigerator and the door are preferably formed with inner and outer sheathings i1 and ID, with suitable'insulating material 20 interposed between these sheathings. suitable wall construction or insulating medium may be used in place of the specific form illustrated, however.

Vertically spaced at suitable distances from the bottom ll of the cooler, I provide pairs of 0ppositely disposed horizontal guide members 2| which are secured to the inner surface of the side walls i2. These guide members 2i are preferably T-shaped, with the cross portion of the T extending parallel to the side walls l2. In securing the guide members 2| to the side walls l2, spacing members 22 are provided at spaced intervals throughout the length of the guide members or rails 2i. Thus the guide members 2| do not contact the walls l2, and as the spacing members 22 are positioned substantially below the top edge of the guide rails 2|, no liquid is directed over the top of these rails. Thus the guide rails are at all times free from moisture.

Upon the uppermost pair of guide rails 2|, 1 provide a basket or tray 23, which is adapted to contain ice in loose form. The basket 23 is slidably mounted on the rails 2| supporting the basket 23 spaced slightly from the top lb of the cooler. It will be noted that the position of the basket 23 limits the amount of ice which may be placed in the basket 23. This is important in the use of my cooler for dairies and the like, for it provides room for suillcient ice to keep the cooler at the proper temperature but prevents an excess amount of ice from being used and thus wasted.

Immediately below the basket 22 I provide an arcuated or upwardly bulged baiile plate 24. This baflle plate 24 is secured to the side walls l2 of the cooler, and is provided with openings 25 directly adjacent the walls i2 so that all of the water dropping upon the baflie plate -24 from the ice within the basket 23, will be directed toward the side walls l2, passing through the opening 25. A flow of cold water is thus always passing down the inner surface of the side walls |2 onto the bottom II which slopes to provide a low point for accommodation of a drain 26 extending through the bottom II.

In Figure 3 of the drawings, I illustrate a slightly different form of baille construction in which the bafile 21 is provided with central air openings 24 through which air may freely circulate. Each opening 28 is covered by a covering plate 29 which is spaced slightly above the baffle 21. Water dropping from the basket 23 may fall'upon the guard plate 29 and be diverted to one side of the openings 24, so that the moisture will all pass through the openings 25 and flow down the side walls i2.

Figure 4 illustrates in perspective detail, the baille construction which is used in preferred form. It may be seen that in this construction, a pair of oppositely disposed bars 20 are secured in spaced relationship upon the side walls l2. The bars iii are held spaced from the walls by spacing washers 2i positioned between the bars 20 and the walls. The water upon the baiile 24 passes through the openings 25 inside of the bars 24 and flows down the side walls II.

The pairs of guide rails 2| positioned beneath Any.

the baille 24 are for the purpose of supporting shelves or of supporting crates 32 for milk or the like, as shown in dotted outline in Figure 1 of the drawings. Ii. it is desired, angle irons 33 may be supported in spaced relationship upon the walls l2 to form the guide rails. These angles 82 are spaced by spacing washers 34 from the walls l2.

In Figures .6 and '1 of the drawings, I disclose a slightly modified form of ice container which may be used in place of the basket 23 and the baiile 24. The ice container 35 illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, is formed with oppositely disposed side walls 25 which are hook-shaped at the-top so that the tray 35 may be supported by bars 21 mounted on the side walls i2 of the cooler. The bottom 39 of the basket 35 is arcuated or upwardly bulged so that the water caused by the melting of ice upon the tray 35, will run to the sides of the tray. The bottom 35 is sufilciently wide to permit the edges of the bottom to engage against the side walls l2 of the cooler, and openings 40 are formed atthe junction of the bottom 35 and the sides 26 to permit the water to flow against the side walls i2 of the cooler. The holes 4e are so positioned that all of the water is di' rected against the side walls i2. The rear end of the bottom 39 is provided with spaced points 4| arranged to contact the rear wall i3 of the cooler and to space a portion of the tray from the rear wall to permit air to pass between the bottom 29 and the rear wall ill to provide additional circulation of air.

In Figure 8 of the drawings, I provide a cooler having side walls 42, top and bottom walls 43 and 44, and a rear wall 45. A suitable closure is provided for the cooler which is not illustrated in the drawings. An ice basket 46 is slidably supported on guide rails 41 at opposite sides of the cooler. The baflle 49 similar to the bailie 24, is positioned beneath the basket 46 to direct moisture through openings 50 on opposite sides there- 0 Spaced from the outer walls 42 and 45, I provide inner side walls 5| and if desired, an inner rear wall 52. The walls 5| and 52 are provided with openings or louvers 53 therein, so that air may freely circulate between the walls Si and 52, and the cooler walls 42 and 45. As the water travels down the outer of these walls 42 and 45, the inner wall protects the articles within the refrigerator from any moisture whatsoever.

I have found that my cooler will permit cold water to flow down the walls of the refrigerator and that this cold water absorbs sufllcient heat in its downward travel to leave the cooler through the drain at a relatively high temperature. My refrigerator is self-cleaning, and the walls are always fresh and clean. All odors from products placed within the cooler are absorbed by the water and drained from the refrigerator, so that with my construction, food will not be spoiled by proximity with other food.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction of my cooler, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that these are only illustrative of a means of carrying out my invention and that obvious changes may be madewithin the scope of the following claims without departing from I the spirit of my invention.

partment, and means directing the water created by the melting of the ice over the inner surface of the side walls of said cooling compartment adjacent said shelves.

2. In a cooler, a cooling compartment having side walls, shelves supported thereby, an ice supporting means adjacent the top of said compartment, and means directing the water created by the melting of the ice to flow over the inner surface of said side walls adjacent said shelves.

3. In a cooler, a cooling compartment, an upwardly bowed baiiie near the top thereof, said bailie having notched openings along the edges thereof to direct moisture created by the melting of ice above said baflie through said openings and into contact with the side walls of said coinpartment.

4. In a cooler, a cooling compartment having side walls, an upwardly bowed bafile extending between said side walls forming an ice compartment above said baflle, said baflie having notch means along the edges thereof to direct moisture from said baiiie along the side walls of said compartment.

5. In a cooler, a compartment having side walls, shelves supported thereby, means supporting ice at the top thereof, and means catching the moisture created by the melting of the ice and directing the same against the said side walls adjacent said shelves 6. In a cooler, a compartment having side walls, means directing a flow of water down the inner surface of said side walls, guide rails for supporting articles within said compartment, and means spacing said rails from said walls to permit the water to flow down between side walls and said rai1s.

7. In a cooler, a compartment having side walls, means directing a flow of water down the inner surface of said side walls, supporting rails on said side walls, and spaced spacing means spaced from the top edge of said rails interposed between said rails and said walls to permit water to flow down said walls between said walls and said rails.

8. In a cooler, a compartment having side walls, a baflie spaced from the top of said compartment having openings through which air may circulate, cover means secured to said baflie to cover said openings, said baflie directing moisture against said side walls.

EDWARD G. HOCH. 

